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From May 22 to 26, the XLIII International Congress of the Latin American Studies Association (LASA) was held in San Francisco, United States. This congress represents one of the most important global spaces for academic exchange and critical analysis on Latin America and the contemporary challenges faced by the region in a global context marked by geopolitical tensions, democratic crises, and new dynamics of power. Among the many themes addressed, debates on China’s growing presence in Latin America stood out, including its political, economic, and cultural implications, as well as the strategic responses emerging from different Latin American countries. Within this framework, the Center for China and Asia-Pacific Studies (CECHAP) of the Universidad del Pacífico had an outstanding participation in several specialized panels and sessions, contributing to the analysis from a regional and interdisciplinary perspective.

In the panel “Impacts of China in Latin America: Interdisciplinary Dialogues,” CECHAP researchers Nifta Lau and Antonio José Pagán presented their work. Lau presented the paper “Places of origin and development in the Chinese trade zones of Lima, Peru,” in which she highlighted the results of her study on the Barrio Chino area (commercial zone in Barrios Altos) and San Borja as spaces that integrate economic dynamics, cultural identities, and links with Chinese policies. Lau concludes that the history of Chinese migration in Peru reveals two fundamental factors in the development process of local trade in these areas: intra-group ties, which facilitated the initial settlement and allowed for the building of networks, and the diaspora policies of the People’s Republic of China, which enabled access to networks and resources. On the other hand, Pagán’s paper was titled “A decade of international turbulence (2013–2022): the ‘United States factor’ in Chinese academic literature on China–Latin America relations,” in which he examines how Chinese scholars have interpreted the impact of the United States on China–Latin America relations between 2013 and 2022. Pagán concludes that the recent U.S. presidencies have been viewed with suspicion by Chinese academics, although they have also identified strategic opportunities for China in them. Cynthia Sanborn, director of CECHAP, also participated in this panel as a commentator.

During the panel “Capitalizing on China’s New Climate Economy in the Americas,” Kehan Wang, researcher at the Center, presented the paper “Rising Chinese ESG standards and their implications for Latin America.” The presentation highlighted that there is incremental progress toward the adoption of mandatory ESG standards, used to assess companies’ environmental, social, and governance performance, but significant gaps and challenges persist. In this context, the need was emphasized for a more active role from local actors and civil society organizations in Latin America to demand greater accountability and ensure that foreign investments, including Chinese ones, align with sustainability and responsibility principles. Also in this panel, Sanborn served as the organizer and moderator of the session, as well as the main commentator.

During the event, Sanborn also had a notable participation as a commentator in the presentation of the book Displacement: China’s Economic Weight and the Erosion of US Political Influence in Latin America by Francisco Urdinez, director of the Millennium Nucleus on the Impacts of China in Latin America and the Caribbean (ICLAC).

Finally, the panel “Regional Integration Revived? Peru’s Chancay Mega-Port and Implications for the Western Amazon” included the participation of three CECHAP team members. Sanborn opened the session with the presentation “From Marcona to Chancay: The Evolution of China–Peru Economic Relations,” in which she reflects on three decades of relations between Peru and China. Sanborn highlights the bidirectionality of the relationship, in which both countries are of special interest to the other, as well as the internal challenges currently faced by each country. Omar Narrea, researcher at the Center, continued the session with the presentation “Ports and Economic Corridors along the Belt and Road Initiative: The Role of Chancay,” in which he discussed the opportunities for regional integration and the establishment of South American economic corridors that the Chancay port brings. Lastly, Leolino Dourado, also a researcher at the Center, closed the session with his presentation “Chinese participation in the Chancay Port: Between state strategic interests and corporate business interests.” During his presentation, Dourado reflects on the factors driving China’s involvement in the Chancay port. The presentation concludes that China’s high levels of engagement with the port respond both to Cosco’s commercial interests and to Beijing’s national strategic interests.

CECHAP’s participation in this international congress reinforces the Universidad del Pacífico’s commitment to internationalization, high-level academic exchange, and the strategic study of Asia as a key region in the global arena.